Chapter 56 — The Question of Gods

The power of magic could still be studied and decoded through calculation and reasoning. Though called supernatural, it was in practice an analyzable natural force. Divine arts, however, demanded that you give yourself wholly to faith and devotion, that you press your very personality and mode of thought infinitely close to "divine spirituality" before you could glimpse anything at all. That meant that to study the gods, he would first have to become a believer, to hold boundless reverence for them—and once truly in that state... how could one study the gods?

Gao Yang shook his head and set these questions aside for now. In any case, in this poor, savage land, drawing any church's attention was difficult as reaching the sky. He looked at Hetty and pressed on about increasing crop yields: "If we can't count on the three Fertility goddesses, are there other ways to solve the yield problem?"

"The yield problem... to be honest, given the condition of these lands, and the first year's grain His Majesty provided, we aren't actually short of food," Hetty said with a frown. "The domain has only eight hundred-odd people now. We can feed them easily enough."

"But we can't stay at eight hundred-odd forever. In fact, I'm already planning to increase the population substantially by buying serfs and bringing in settlers," Gao Yang said, shaking his head. Hetty clearly still did not grasp how precious people were. "The food problem is fundamental. We'll have to face it sooner or later."

Hetty could not grasp how precious people were, but Norris understood the importance of grain. He thought seriously for a moment, then ventured boldly: "Beyond divine arts, another way is to seek out druids. The alchemical potions made by forest druids can effectively raise crop yields. Their potions may be weaker than divine arts, but they have the advantage of protecting the land well—and druids usually command some plant magic too, which greatly helps crop growth."

Gao Yang listened, and his eyes lit up: now this was an approach he liked!

And when he heard that druids made alchemical potions to boost soil fertility... those so-called alchemical potions—could they be this world's "chemical fertilizer"? Or something with a similar effect?

Either way, if it could be produced by a fixed method (and perhaps mass-produced), applied easily, and gave a fairly steady boost to crop yields—then whatever the alchemical potion really was, Gao Yang resolved to call it chemical fertilizer!

And better still, this "chemical fertilizer" even protected the land!

He asked impatiently: "Where can I find druids?"

Norris looked somewhat troubled and glanced at Hetty, who frowned slightly: "That's another problem... There aren't many druids in human society, and they're usually concentrated in the West, near the Mosswood. Down here in the South... you could almost call them rare creatures. Cecil lands have hardly ever dealt with druids. I wouldn't know where to find them either."

Gao Yang looked disappointed, but Philip spoke thoughtfully: "Still, because of how their traditions pass down, druids are close to the elves—nearly every druidic lineage can be traced back to them, including the gray elves and the silver elves..."

The eyes of everyone present drifted, almost involuntarily, to Amber behind Gao Yang, and her pointed ears gave an immediate twitch.

Gao Yang's expression fell at once: "Don't be ridiculous. A disgrace to elves like her—does she even count as an elf? What druid would take someone who steals chickens and—"

Before Gao Yang could finish, Amber's voice rang out: "Now that you mention it... I think I actually do know a druid!"

Gao Yang: "?!"